SBNation.com User Blog: The Van Buren Boys

Which is your favorite Seinfeld episode?

The Van Buren Boys — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:06:53 -0000

This idea came from the outpouring of comments from the post on the main page regarding our screen names and their meanings. Great discussion, interesting to hear some of the stories behind all of us here on CJ. Mine comes from my love of Seinfeld, judging by the comments on that article it sounds like I am not alone. Rather than continue to "hijack" that post, figured I would start a separate one in which folks can comment separately. The show about nothing is still the best show ever to grace the boob-tube.......

via images.popmatters.com

Urlacher done after 13 seasons.

The Van Buren Boys — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:19:57 -0000

Urlacher done after 13 seasons.

ESPN laying off approximately 400 employees. Where will we turn to hear about Tebow and the New York/LA franchises?

The Van Buren Boys — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:33:16 -0000

Now the ESPN sports network will have approximately 400 less people to talk about Tim Tebow, all New York sports (especially Jets and Yankees) and the Lakers. I feel bad for those poor suckers who got the pink slip, but business is business I guess. Interesting couple of excerpts below from a few employees that got the axe. ESPN has been gobbling up all kinds of other networks, so have to cut some costs to still hit that margin.

http://deadspin.com/source-espn-laying-off-hundreds-509043249

How did the "experts" stack up when looking back at their 2013 NFL mock drafts?

The Van Buren Boys — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:42:05 -0000

It's funny how quickly mock drafts are forgotten the day after that year's draft is over.........I find it interesting to review some of those so called "experts" mock drafts and see how they really did. Deadspin had a great article comparing Kiper, McShay and Mayock's accuracy rates. Now in their defense, with the draft being as fluid as it is, with trades happening in between, it's impossible to completely nail it. But come on, I think many of us can qualify as "experts" given some of these results. See the link below, pretty interesting....... http://deadspin.com/which-nfl-draft-expert-had-the-dumbest-mock-draft-507639979

via www.footballphds.com

Goodbye Rolando McClain...we hardly knew you.

The Van Buren Boys — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:07:30 -0000

Goodbye Rolando McClain...we hardly knew you.

Your version of Mike Brown, in pictures!

The Van Buren Boys — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:46:12 -0000

Mike Brown has been described by so many adjectives by Bengals fans through the years, many I will not spell out here due to being inappropriate (I'm not saying untrue, just not appropriate for print lol). How/what do you picture when you first think of Mike Brown? This is something I have always wondered and would love to see some hilarious illustrations of our favorite NFL football teams owner. Can't wait for this :)

via blog.cleveland.com

Forgot about Dre?

The Van Buren Boys — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:28:30 -0000

What do we expect from Dre Kirkpatrick this year? Will he be 100% by training camp and will he contribute or even start opposite Leon Hall by season's end? Dre did get to play a small portion, largely on Special Teams last year before injuries finally sidelined him. So it's almost as if we have another draft pick joining the team who could have a big impact. Hopefully he is 100% healthy first and can start off playing in the Nickel packages, slowly working his way further into the lineup. What do you expect from him?

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Taylor Mays versus Shawn Williams......who starts Week 1?

The Van Buren Boys — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:12:09 -0000

I know what the majority will probably say here right off the bat....the newer candidate is always more enticing and adds an element of excitement (Williams). But the Bengals also have a history of playing veterans over rookies, even when it seems overwhelmingly obvious it should be the other way around. Recently it was also stated by DC Mike Zimmer that Williams has quite a bit to learn when it comes to coverage still. Although early, who do you predict will be the opening day starter at SS?

via cdn3.sbnation.com

via 2.bp.blogspot.com

via cdn3.sbnation.com

via 2.bp.blogspot.com

Poll

Who starts at SS opposite Reggie Nelson during week 1?

Who is this year's Vontaze Burfict?

The Van Buren Boys — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:19:57 -0000

What do I mean by that term you might ask? Someone who is in camp now and maybe not as well known or drafted very high. So your guys like Eifert and Bernard are out. But who of the lesser known guys (when I say "lesser known" I'm speaking largely to the common NFL fan) do you think could surprise? We have some interesting candidates, for example guys named Burkhead, Dimanche and Joiner just to name a few.

via www.azcentral.com

Browns going back up for sale soon?

The Van Buren Boys — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:01:59 -0000

The poor Cleveland Browns, after their new owner recently took over it appears as ownership of the team may change hands yet again. Losing seasons, questionable drafting and several different head coaches have caused the Browns to largely be irrelevant in the AFC division since their return to the league in 1999. I will give them credit, they do continue to have loyal fans (despite not even having a team for a short time). But it looks like Haslam is in a heap of trouble and may be unloading our AFC North rivals relatively soon.....

Titus Young arrested twice in a day

The Van Buren Boys — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:54:29 -0000

Titus Young arrested twice in a day

This is impressive, even by current NFL standards....

What grade do you give the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2013 draft?

The Van Buren Boys — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:21:00 -0000

Never a dull moment when the Bengals are on the clock lol As the draft goes on, the picks normally become even less predictable as well. So, now that all the smoke has cleared and the UDFA's are being lined up....how do you grade our draft class?

1) #21 Tyler Eifert - TE

2) #37 Giovanni Bernard - RB

2) #53 Margus Hunt - DE

3) #84 Shawn Williams - S

4) #118 Sean Porter - OLB

5) #156 Tanner Hawkinson - T

6) #190 Rex Burkhead - RB

6) #197 Cobi Hamilton - WR

7) #240 Reid Fragel - T

7) #251 T.J. Johnson - C

1) #21 Tyler Eifert - TE

2) #37 Giovanni Bernard - RB

2) #53 Margus Hunt - DE

3) #84 Shawn Williams - S

4) #118 Sean Porter - OLB

5) #156 Tanner Hawkinson - T

6) #190 Rex Burkhead - RB

6) #197 Cobi Hamilton - WR

7) #240 Reid Fragel - T

7) #251 T.J. Johnson - C

Poll

What grade overall do you give the Bengals?

A

57 votes

B

111 votes

C

23 votes

D

3 votes

F

3 votes

197 votes | Poll has closed

Round 4, who do you want?????? Vote now!!!!!

The Van Buren Boys — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:16:51 -0000

Who do you want in round 4? I would like us to address either LB or OT...but we could still go about any direction. There is still a ton of talent left at WR, QB, RB and S just to name a few....so if your calling "the shot," who would you choose? See the selections below or tell us who you would take if you were pulling the trigger for us today in round 4. Who Dey?!!!

Poll

With our round 4 selection, who would you pick?

A) Da'Rick Rogers

3 votes

B) Khaseem Greene

12 votes

C) Barrett Jones

12 votes

D) Marcus Lattimore

6 votes

E) Other (please explain below)

7 votes

40 votes | Poll has closed

Official Round 2 voting petition! LOL

The Van Buren Boys — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:22:38 -0000

With our two upcoming picks, what combo would you most want? For me it would be Jonathan Cyprien at pick #37 and Giovanni Bernard at #53. I like Franklin as well, but at this point believe we would get better value if Bernard was there for us at #53. Of course that's always an "if," but with the way last night went anything is certainly possible.......how about you, which two players would you most likely want?

Poll

What "combo" would you want in the 2nd round tonight?

A) Cyprien / Bernard

42 votes

B) Lacy / K. Greene

3 votes

C) Brown / Swearinger

1 votes

D) Carradine / Franklin

5 votes

E) Other (please list below)

8 votes

59 votes | Poll has closed

Kerwynn Williams, late round steal?!?!?!?!?!

The Van Buren Boys — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:13:48 -0000

Last season I was excited about the possibility of another Utah State running back, Robert Turbin. Who looked good in limited action with Seattle this year in the playoffs. Another intriguing prospect this year is Utah States Kerwynn Williams. He ran a 4.48 40 time, had 45 receptions for 5 TD's out of the backfield and comes with no known (at least not to my knowledge) off field baggage. There are a lot of late round possibilities at the running back position, I believe he is one of the strongest........what say you fellow Bengal fans? If not Williams, who is the guy after the 4th-5th round that could have an impact in our backfield?

What player do you particularly hope other AFCN teams do not draft?

The Van Buren Boys — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:00:09 -0000

Is there one player that you are convinced if the Bengals pass up on drafting will haunt us for many years to come? With the Browns picking fairly early (again), the Steelers drafting closely in front of us and Baltimore at the end of the first......who would you most like to not see in our division? The team that will most likely be a part of this equation seems to be Pittsburgh picking at #17 right in front of us......personally I would not like to go up against a guy like Tyler Eifert if he were to fall right to Pittsburgh. Maybe it's the highlights from the playoffs still playing in my mind, I don't know....but I just don't like thinking about it.

If you could have one player fall to us.................

The Van Buren Boys — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:46:39 -0000

If one player fell in the first round of the draft, any player at all, who would you most want it to be? This happens every year, someone drops like a stone for whatever reason. Could be because teams make a run on quarterbacks, could be because that particular position is being undervalued, etc. It never fails that one player is left "sitting in the green room" a little longer than most anticipated. So who is it that most out there would want to drop in our laps? It could be anybody at all because who knows??????? It just might happen. Me personally, I would love it if Tavon Austin fell to the Bengals. Maybe it's the speed, the excitement that he brings and would bring to any offense.........but wouldn't mind seeing him in stripes at all. So Cincy Jungle, how about you?

My "Oh sh*t the draft is almost here" Mock Draft........enjoy!

The Van Buren Boys — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:22:44 -0000

Only a couple more days to go, thank god for football..........

***Small disclosure, I am assuming we re-sign Andre (believe happens this week) and am not including trades (there is no magic 8 ball on earth to predict those).

21) DeAndre Hopkins - WR Kenny Vaccaro is long gone to St. Louis or Dallas. Did he smear poop? Does anyone in NFL circles care? Short answer, no. AJ meet DeAndre.........DeAndre meet AJ. Best friends for many, many years.

37) Eric Reid - S Big, physical safety who can play well in both coverage and against the run. A very intelligent player who can make plays all over the field and excels at coverage.

53) Alex Okafor - DE Great value here and an insurance policy in case one of our two current DE's walks in the near future. He is still on the board due to Ansah, Moore, Jones, Werner, Carradine and Hunt going in front of him. The Bengals gladly pick up another solid pass rusher.

84) Travis Frederick - C/G We pick up some competition at C, as well as possible G depth as well. With Wharton's status uncertain after his injury, the versatility of Frederick would be great to have.

118) Montee Ball - RB Not my own personal choice, but what I feel falls to the Bengals at this spot. I cannot currently predict them taking Bernard or Franklin, as much as I would truly like.

156) Jordan Mills - OT Mills played primarily LOT, albeit for Louisiana Tech. So may need to start out at RT and eventually progress to LT if needed in the future.

190) Kerwynn Williams - RB Faster back to compliment our rushing attack. Ran 4.48 in 40, so adds a different dimension to our backfield, can also catch the ball well.

197) Ace Sanders - WR/KR A guy I would really love to see just for kick returning purposes. The bonus is anything he gives us outside of that as well as limiting any time on the field for anyone named Tate.

240) Sean Renfree - QB Smart, accurate QB who could develop behind Dalton. After the Free Agents that have been brought in it's clear additional competition could be utilized. Plus, let's face it.....this guy won at Duke (in football!).

251) Eric Martin - OLB Depth at LB, with Harrison signing a two-year deal Martin can compete for a spot on the team as a potential backup.

Only a couple more days to go, thank god for football..........

***Small disclosure, I am assuming we re-sign Andre (believe happens this week) and am not including trades (there is no magic 8 ball on earth to predict those).

37) Eric Reid - S Big, physical safety who can play well in both coverage and against the run. A very intelligent player who can make plays all over the field and excels at coverage.

118) Montee Ball - RB Not my own personal choice, but what I feel falls to the Bengals at this spot. I cannot currently predict them taking Bernard or Franklin, as much as I would truly like.

156) Jordan Mills - OT Mills played primarily LOT, albeit for Louisiana Tech. So may need to start out at RT and eventually progress to LT if needed in the future.

190) Kerwynn Williams - RB Faster back to compliment our rushing attack. Ran 4.48 in 40, so adds a different dimension to our backfield, can also catch the ball well.

251) Eric Martin - OLB Depth at LB, with Harrison signing a two-year deal Martin can compete for a spot on the team as a potential backup.

NFL.com: Bengals to franchise Michael Johnson

The Van Buren Boys — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:40:36 -0000

Breaking news on NFL.com is that the Bengals are going to tag Michael Johnson and not Andre Smith. We needed some news to talk about today, so this ought to get the conversation started! This was just posted a few minutes ago, so late breaking news! Let's discuss, this should really help to shape the Free Agency period for us.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000146235/article/michael-johnson-gets-cincinnati-bengals-franchise-tag

I want to hear the consensus on our first pick overall. With the 21st pick you select???

The Van Buren Boys — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 21:19:35 -0000

I think that we've had lots of discussion now on who most of us are looking for the Bengals to draft with our first pick, I wanted to focus on that first overall pick and see everyone's preference and thought process behind it. I have listed on the below poll who is MOST likely to still be there at the 21st pick when the Bengals are on the clock. *Note: K. Vaccarro is not listed because most likely he will have already been selected. Let me know who you would take, or someone else not listed and why........so, with the 21st pick YOU select??????

Poll

So, if you are pulling the trigger for the Bengals at #21......who are you going to take and why (please provide explanation below)?

A) Alec Ogletree, LB

67 votes

B) Barrett Jones, OL

13 votes

C) Kevin Minter, LB

5 votes

D) Eric Reid, S

16 votes

E) Alex Okafor, DE

3 votes

F) Giovani Bernard, RB

12 votes

G) Other (please list below)

13 votes

129 votes | Poll has closed

The Van Buren Boys Mock Draft 1.0............

The Van Buren Boys — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:40:58 -0000

I need to take a break from all the "Harbaugh Bowl" talk, so what better way to do that then with a mock draft! Let me know what you guys think, you can tell where my main concerns are and I believe our LB corp. is one of the top areas of need overall. I believe in shifting 'Tez over to MLB and drafting the two new guys below to form one of the youngest and most talented LB corps in the league. With our DL up front, these guys will be free to make plays, while also vastly improving our Achilles heel (covering a damn tight end!). This is not taking into account Free Agency, since that is very difficult to predict. Happy "mocking" and Who Dey?!!

>#21 Alec Ogletree, ILB, GeorgiaConverted Safety who can go sideline to sideline and can cover. Vastly improves our LB corps with both youth and talent. Hopefully he is still available to us at #21.

>#37 Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina Top rated Running Back in the draft, which we drastically need an upgrade of talent and depth. Would also like to see us pick up another Running Back later in the draft as added depth.

>#53 Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State Physical corner who is NFL ready. Have been impressed with him since seeing him shut-down Michael Floyd in their bowl game last year. Had knee-injury, but is fully recovered and would add needed talent and depth to aging secondary. I am also still concerned about Dre, since we're not really sure what to expect from him.

>#85 Bacarri Rambo, FS, Georgia Extremely talented Safety who can compete for playing time right away. Due to a failed drug test may drop, otherwise would have went higher than this pick. Would be good value pick here for us and really help us upgrade one of our biggest areas of need.

>#115 Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M 'Tez to middle, Ogletree drafted as ILB and Porter drafted to potentially oversee the outside. We would then posses one of the most young and talented linbacking corps in the NFL. Plus, we might be able to improve upon our persistent Achilles heel......coverage of Tight Ends. We could then look to also bring back Howard and utilize Lamur, Skuta, etc. for depth.

>#148 Jonathan Franklin, RB, UCLA Another good back to help solidify our backfield. With Scott and Leonard most likely being gone, we've got a good young infusion of new talent in the backfield. Keep Peerman and we've got some flexibility and talent.

>#181 Craig Roh, DE, Michigan Depending on what happens between signing/tagging Michael Johnson, Geathers is almost surely gone which leaves us with a need at Defensive End. Expecting Johnson to be tagged, Roh would add some nice depth and would be able to develop behind either Johnson or Dunlap.

>#190 Sean Renfree, QB, Duke Helped to really put the Duke football program on the map. Smart QB, plus has the NFL size (6'4", 225). Duke threw the ball pretty well this year; Renfree could compete for backup job or possible practice squad.

Jags hire 'hawks D coordinator...looks like Gruden is staying.

The Van Buren Boys — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 13:37:39 -0000

Jags hire 'hawks D coordinator...looks like Gruden is staying.

Chris Rainey arrested.....know this was a guy we talked about a lot last year.

The Van Buren Boys — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:37:50 -0000

Chris Rainey arrested.....know this was a guy we talked about a lot last year.

Petition to unofficially release Rey Maualuga.............please sign my Bengal brethren.

The Van Buren Boys — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 02:32:44 -0000

Will this officially do anything? No. Will it make me feel a heck of a lot better after watching that awful performance by our current MLB? A resounding yes! I'm tired of watching our defensive "Captain" get beat, whiff and just generally not play his position well (or even adequately). He did have a few games down the stretch where he resembled an NFL MLB, but let's be honest here..........he is not. At least we didn't use a first round pick on him, that would make me even more irritated. But enough is enough. "Rec" this post if you agree and want him gone. I would love to see how many we get..........and if there any arguments, would love to hear those too. Not expecting a slew of those, but you never know. Who Dey?!!

My trip to Heinz Field (aka - The Death Star) Part II.....An unexpected turn of events.

The Van Buren Boys — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 14:31:58 -0000

As we were heading towards Heinz Field yesterday (less than 2 hours from where I live) my buddy and I were jacked. Had the Metallica pumping as we couldn't wait to hit the parking lots around Heinz Field to begin our pre-game ritual of stuffing our faces with all things fried and grilled. Upon first getting there you can't possibly mistake where you are and what event your attending.....there is black and gold jerseys as far as the eye can see, as circles of people are huddled around grilles, coolers, beer bongs, etc. to indulge in our favorite Sunday afternoon ritual. We pulled into a pretty quiet tailgating spot (as with most sports venues these days, every lot cost between $35-$40 to park). We hopped out and immediatley were met by two steelers fans already swilling a couple of large beers. One looked my white #18 jersey up and down and simply stated "shi%." I'm thinking.........strike one. And we continue.....

We decided to hang with these couple of folks around where we were and kind of get a feel for the lay of the land. You could walk in any direction around the stadium and tailgate, North, South, East or West will land you right in the middle of someone's tailgate party somewhere. We started casually talking about football with our newfound Steeler friends (my buddy is a Steeler fan as well, everyone has a flaw or two I know). They were interested in where we were from, how we got here, why on "God's green earth (direct quote)" I'm a Bengal fan, etc. The next phrase out of one of our new friends mouths was priceless, "At least your not a couple of Browns fans. They really suck." We all shared a nice laugh at our fellow AFCN rivals expense and clinked our respective beverage bottles. So far, so good.....

After walking only a short trip to the field, we encountered several more tailgate hot-spots. One of note that I would like to mention was a group that had a huge Christmas tree decorated in black and gold, each time someone finished one of their huge cans of beer they would all yell whatever obscenity came to mind first and place it on the tree as a new ornament. I must say, it was pretty cool. I walked past and kind of braced myself for whatever wrath would be unleased upon noticing the orange and black attire I was wearing.....and funny thing happened, nothing. Walked right on by, not a peep. Odd I thought, maybe I caught them mid "chug" and they simply couldn't respond......so we continued.

After approaching the security line (which moved fairly quickly, PBS take note of this), the security guard had one of the better comments of the day. After waiving his wand over me to ensure my prison shank had indeed been left at home (thought about bringing it, but it's my favorite and don't want to risk forfeiture) he stated with a stone-cold serious face "Your all clear, now just remove that jersey. It's illegal to wear on the premises." I stopped for a second and realized that the security jockey had just made a pretty good funny in which I replied "Well played, sir. Well played." The 10,000 Steeler fans around me all let out a huge roar as they laughed. I must say, not only a security guard with a good quote, but also with a sense of humor? Improbable I thought, this trip just keeps taking turns for the unexpected. We continued on into the game.........

Upon finding our seats I was greeted warmly "Ah shi*, not a damn Bengal fan!" for one. My personal favorite (directed at my buddy, a Steeler fan) "How nice, you picked up your special cousin from the "gifted" school and decided to bring him along." I must admit, that was pretty damn funny, I laughed and even high-fived the guy. The rest of the group we sat with we're very cordial and curious as to how my adventure as a Bengal fan began and where I'm from. I find it very interesting how people almost act like you've caught a case of something (i.e. - a virus) that caused you to become a Bengal fan. But I digress....

The game was fantastic. Largely a defensive battle, but who cares. It was close and the best and most deserving team won. When Reggie picked off that ball with less than 10 seconds left you could hear a pin drop. It wasn't a pin actually, it was the sound of 65,000 jaws dropping at the fact that their beloved Steelers just lost to the old Cincinnati Bengals. You know, that team with the reclusive owner and goofy saying (Who Dey?!! I must say is very largely not understood by opposing fan bases). When the ball sailed through the uprights off Josh Browns recently signed foot, I imagined a torch passing between a team with a rich history and tradition, now going over to the new kids on the block (God I hate that group too, hated to even mention that phrase, but seemed apporopriate) who are young, exciting and looking to write some history of their own. The stadium fell silent like one might expect after horrific news was just delivered by a late night phone call......just nothing, but stunned silence. It was quiet, majestic.......beautiful actually.

A quick jaunt back to the car, couple more pulls off my last alcoholic beverage and I hopped into the passenger seat for the voyage home. A couple of last points to discuss about our trip:

1) Steeler fans were very respectful. Now this could be the type of respet the neighborhood dorky kid gets because the other bigger kids don't really deem them any sort of threat? I'm not sure, I can never be sure they so believed they would crush us that the respect I felt was more out of empathy. But I don't think it was. I sensed something while talking with the many fans we came into contact with, a sense that disappointment was looming with this team. The folks I had the pleasure of speaking with spoke in disdain about the Steeler run game, constant path-work offensive lines and Ben's inevitable decline as age and constant hits continue. This was largely unexpected, I expected the chest-thumping, "We're the Steelers and your not" mantra. I did not hear this at all.

2) Steelers fans were very knowledgeable. Not only about their own team, but they were very aware of the Bengals statistics, season notes and roster. I very much enjoyed hearing a different perspective from a third party. Note to last lot we visited before entering game: Corey Dillon was one of the all-time great backs. Played on some lousy teams, but the guys numbers speak for themselves.

3) Heinz Field is a pleasant place to watch a ball game, complete with good food, aceesible beer tents and a common love of football. Wearing orange and black will not get you stoned, slashed, or bruised. The only true harassment I received was by a young gentleman, who can only be described as about 6'6", weighing 98 lbs. and rocking a mullett that would make an 80's music video jealous who approached me and began yelling "Ochocinco sucks." My simple reply was, "Yes, now that he's out of football, he is indeed not a very valuable player." This did not sit well with Billy Idol, whose girlfriend luckily had the good sense to drag him towards the beer tent. Also of note: Do not call someone "Flock of Seagulls" or state "Business in the front, but a party in the back!" They do not respond well to this...

All and all, a great trip with a good friend and a great game. What more could I possibly ask for? Looking forward to going back next year and rooting our boys on........Who Dey?!!

A quick jaunt back to the car, couple more pulls off my last alcoholic beverage and I hopped into the passenger seat for the voyage home. A couple of last points to discuss about our trip:

All and all, a great trip with a good friend and a great game. What more could I possibly ask for? Looking forward to going back next year and rooting our boys on........Who Dey?!!

My trip to Heinz Field (aka - The Death Star) Part I.....God help me.

The Van Buren Boys — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:16:11 -0000

Thought I would share my first trip to Heinz Field to see our beloved Bengals. I have traveled to many places to see the Bengals and Reds, but somehow never made it to Heinz Field. My buddy's girlfriend surprised him with Bengals/Steelers tickets for his X-mas gift (cool girlfriend obviously, many points scored there). Before you get too excited, he's a huge Steelers fan, well....nobody's perfect I guess lol He and I always watch the Bengals/Steelers game, so naturally he invited me along for the ride.....below I made sure to pack the essentials:

1) White "Away" #18 AJ Green jersey which I will proudly wear.

2) Case of beer and bottle of Maker's Mark whiskey (heats you up on a cold day.)

3) Long John's, thermal socks and anything else that looks like it could keep my a** warm.

4) A bad attitude lol Not really, but I'm not going to hold back just because we're away from home. I want this game just like all of you do.....Who Dey?!!

It's about a two-hour drive from where I currently live (just South of Cleveland) so isn't too bad. I will be taking pictures of us, tailgates, stadium pics, etc. and posting them on my next Fanpost which I'll appropriately title, "Part II." If anyone is going to the game or knows of some great hangouts, please do share....having never been there not really sure what to expect (other than some good-natured "ribbing" from Steelers fans). I plan on being excited and watching our boys lock-up a nice playoff spot while putting Pittsburgh's season on ice. Who Dey?!!! Stay tuned for Part II after we get back (maybe I should say "if" lol)....wish me luck! Let's go Bengals....

1) White "Away" #18 AJ Green jersey which I will proudly wear.

2) Case of beer and bottle of Maker's Mark whiskey (heats you up on a cold day.)

3) Long John's, thermal socks and anything else that looks like it could keep my a** warm.

4) A bad attitude lol Not really, but I'm not going to hold back just because we're away from home. I want this game just like all of you do.....Who Dey?!!

Bernard Pollard warns AJ Green.

The Van Buren Boys — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:24:28 -0000

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8339561/baltimore-ravens-bernard-pollard-warning-aj-green-cincinnati-bengals

If you haven't read this story, please do so. I thought would be a nice "conversation piece" for everyone right now leading up to Monday night. I especially like the part about "if we're in the right defense" and "if we miss him it would be disastrous." I've got a feeling they won't have to worry about him coming over the middle as much as AJ streaking by them down the sidelines. Just the type of bulletin board material that should get us even more fired up then we already are. Who Dey?!! my brothers and Go Bengals!

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8339561/baltimore-ravens-bernard-pollard-warning-aj-green-cincinnati-bengals

Pete Rose reality show in the works........say it ain't so Pete!

The Van Buren Boys — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 02:17:04 -0000

Pete Rose reality show in the works........say it ain't so Pete!

Looks like just when you thought you'd seen it all........

Is the Keith Rivers trade "highway robbery" in favor of the Giants?

The Van Buren Boys — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 19:15:57 -0000

According to Rivers himself, yes.

Rivers was quoted as saying that this was the case when he was involved in the recent trade that sent him to the New York Giants for a 5th round pick. This sparked quite a debate at the time of the trade, sounds like Rivers is fired up............what are your thoughts Cincy Jungle?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d829ca7fc/article/keith-rivers-thinks-hes-beyond-a-steal-for-giants?module=HP11_headline_stack

SI.com's team-by-team breakdown of our very own Bengals

The Van Buren Boys — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:51:18 -0000

SI.com's team-by-team breakdown of our very own Bengals

I think the most amusing part of this piece is the section that states, "Key Subtractions:" and Nate Livings is listed. I laughed and then realized it wasn't a joke.